NC - Questions about Kansas State U

[firesweepranch]

So, my daughter is looking at different options for college. She wants to be a vet, at the least cost possible. She is a Junior this year, and is taking some college courses though the HS via the Internet. She got a neat card from KSU that was hand written from, I assume, another student. Needles to say she was impressed.
So, my question is, who can tell me on here about the vet program at KSU?
Thanks!

 

[nkotb]

I have my agronomy degree from KSU, liked the school, the vet program seems to be pretty good.  It looked like to me, at least when I was there, your best shot for getting excepted was to go to another school, possibly a smaller school where you have a better shot at getting good grades, and then apply to vet school from that school.  It seems like the kids that did everything at KSU and applied had less of a shot of getting in than the kids who did undergrad somewhere else.

 

[leanbeef]

Most colleges have to take a certain percentage of incoming students from their own program, and a certain percentage from other programs coming in. My guess is there is room for several students who have done their undergrad at that particular institution, but because KSU is a good school and a large school, there might be some competition for those spots. I'm not sure the best advice to have your daughter take a dive on her undergrad work just so she doesn't have to compete for those coveted spots against other good students. I would recommend you talk to somebody from the vet school and find out more about that, and see if they can recommend some other undergrad programs that would have her well-prepared for the KSU vet school requirements.

I just visited Kansas State for a large conference, and I've known several people who have graduated from there. I was EXTREMELY impressed with the ag department there, and particularly the animal science department, and if I were starting over, I doubt there would be any other school in the country I would rather go. It's one of the few ag programs that is growing and committed to the study of traditional animal sciences, rather than cutting the budget every year, adjusting the curriculum to get non-ag kids to enroll, and still having less students come into the program.

Way back when I was in school, Oklahoma State, Auburn and Tennessee all had good animal science programs and very strong vet schools. I'm sure there are a few more, but when you're considering the top vet schools, the list gets shorter. And the list for strong animal science programs is also getting shorter and shorter nowadays! One speaker from KSU estimated that within a few years, there would be about five animal science programs in the country that were continuing to grow and continuing to increase their budgets instead of cutting back. It's definitely worth taking a look at, and if she's serious about it and you're serious about sending her there, I would recommend you make the trip to Manhattan and take a look around. You'll be impressed.

 

[nkotb]

I was in no way suggesting she take a dive, there are very good schools she could attend and still get a good education.  FHSU in Hays comes to mind.  If she is very serious and committed, KSU is a great place to go.  They do have some issues:  Biology is teach yourself off a computer and the GTA's that help in the class are either foreign and hard to understand, or tree huggers.  KSU also graduates a large amount of kids in animal science every year that started pre-vet, and couldn't hack it, and end up with a $25,000/year packing plant job.  Nothing wrong with that, but if I paid for an education and ended up working a minimum wage job on the packing plant floor, I wouldn't be very happy.  What I am saying, is if she does choose KSU, don't just go into general animal science, specialize in something.  I would also take as many intern/summer job opportunities as she can, because as always, it's not what you know, but who.

 

[leanbeef]

Yeah...I didn't think you were advising her to "take a dive"...I was just recommending that she doesn't! I think some people do try to out think the system sometimes, and that isn't always the best way to go.

I agree whole-heartedly with your advice, especially the part about internships and any other opportunities she may have along the way. Don't just go to school and make good grades and expect that to get you where you want to end up. It just doesn't happen. There are lots of sharp kids with good grades!

I think a lot of big schools are going to have "issues" like those mentioned. If she does choose a smaller school for undergrad, make sure it's a strong one that gives her the same opportunities a larger school might. Like I said, talk to the people at the vet schools you're considering and find out what schools are strong in terms of preparing her for entry. They'll know that better than most other people. And I don't think there's anything like actually GOING to the campus and seeing it first hand...it may not have changed what I did at the time, but I wish I had given myself the opportunity to at least consider other options before I went.

 

[Lucky_P]

Her chances of being accepted will be increased, and your expense will be diminished if she applies as a MO resident, to UMC.  If she sets her sights on KSU or any other out-of-state school - even if she does her undergraduate work there, they're likely to make her apply as an out-of-state or at-large candidate - and the competition for those slots is MUCH greater and a lot stiffer than the competition for the 'in-state' slots.  Tuition for out-of-state/at-large students is often 2-4X that for 'in-state' students, as well.

leanbeef made a good point - the folks on the vet school admissions committees know which schools turn out students who are well-prepared to 'hit the ground running' once they get to vet school, and they can tell you, for instance, (and I'm just making this up, not denigrating any particular school or program) that students from SWMO with a degree in Microbiology fare better than Animal Science students from UMC (or vice-versa).  Talk to them.

In the meantime, your daughter needs to be taking the most rigorous course of study she can schedule during the last two years of her high school career - every high-level,  AP/IB biology, chemistry, physics, calculus course she can take - to build a solid foundation to build upon when she gets to college.

 

[RidinHeifer]

I am from IL and coming to ksu this fall as a freshman.  I am doing animal science in the pre vet option.  The vet school is one of the best for large animals...my undergrad tuition bill for my first semester is $5500... Pretty cheap for a university imo.  That is only with my general university scholarship...its all pretty much paid for this semester with outside scholarships though.  K state does have an early admittance program for vet school.  Get a 29 or higher act score, go thru the application process, interview early in September. If you make it thru you have your spot guaranteed. You can also petition to go in after your 3rd year of undergrad if you have the pure requisites done.  If I get in I'm doing that, pending if I will be able to get my honors research project completed in that time.  Everyone has been very nice and is already ensuring that everything will be taken care of for me to miss a week for national ffa convention.

 

[nkotb]

RidinHeifer brings up a good point.  I know a few kids that went the route of being pre-approved.  That, to me, seems to be the best route.

 

[kanshow]

KSU is a great school.  Their Animal Science Department is one of the very best.  The vet school.... I think there are better ones out there and as far as I'm concerned they are still in a downward spiral until something happens in administration. Many/most of the good veterinarians have left.  There are only two there that I would use at this point.  I'm sure you've heard this before but make sure she declares another major.. AS&I or something as she cannot get a degree in Pre Vet.    We reminded of this when we went to one of their Junior Days last spring. 

 

[creativecattle]

I am an alum on KSU, and you won't find a better group of people. The network that you build while at K-State is pretty incredible. One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of students that plan on ending up at the vet school don't ever quite make it. Check in the other options that she can tack onto an Animal Science degree so that she has options to continue onto vet school or purse a job industry. There are also a lot of majors at K-State at you can dual in quite easily. I was able to get my ag comm degree and animal science degree in 4.5 years, and I started off at a community college. I will say that I was really glad I was able to get classes like chemistry, biology, and accounting out of the way at junior college. She might look at a junior college transfer program as an option.

 

[RidinHeifer]

As corny as it sounds you will find the right one and you will know when you do...it will have the "feel".  Going in head first, it seems to be a grab opportunities by the horns type of school.  No pun intended.  Do we have any other current k-staters on here?

 

[RenFarms]

I graduated from KSU with biology degree. Years ago. At that time, only intro biology courses were computer taught.  TA's for Chemistry were indeed all foreign and very very difficult to understand, which I find unacceptable, considering the amount of $$ people are paying for education.  Being a female, your daughter will likely have a much better shot at acceptance into the program.  I do not know if they are adding points for pursuing large animal, but that would be worth checking into.  That is where the big hole is opening up... everyone wants to do puppies and kitties.